What comes to mind when you think about blessings? Do you think of the things you have such as a car, a house of your own or a job you love? Do you think about people in your life, like your well behaved children, a loving spouse, a dear friend who is always there for you, or a good neighbour?
What about the opposite of these? If you have a job that you are unhappy in, but it pays the rent and puts food on the table, is that job then not a blessing? The factory worker who has just lost his, will see you as a greatly blessed person compared to himself. If you have children who disappoint you, are they not a blessing anymore? The childless woman envies you, troubles and all.
To my shame I have, during a difficult trial in my life, caught myself being jealous of a Christian friends blessing instead of sharing in her joy. It was because I felt very much not blessed at that time in my life. People who did not know of my distress then, would have looked at my loving husband and children and my house and my job and thought I must be one of Gods favourites.
Taken for granted
Some thoughts come to mind concerning blessings. Firstly, the subject of blessings is not a simple one. Blessings are a very personal experience, relative to your life and situation. But most importantly, we often take blessings for granted.
We look at the big stuff that the world sees as blessings and are blind to the richness of the things God showers on us daily. We also tend to compare our blessings, or perceived lack thereof, with others. Like child-ren, we always have to make sure the other one does not get a half a millimetre bigger slice of cake than we do! In this way we are not open to the joy of the blessings that we do have.
I want to highlight just four of the amazing blessings God bestows on all of his children, everyday, without favouritism. They are the ones we so easily take for granted.
Lets start with the blessing of forgiveness
The relief and joy in a human relationship when a loved one is willing to forgive you a mistake, is one of the richest blessings in the human experience. To comprehend the full extent of the blessing in Gods forgiveness and salvation is actually impossible. All of the meaning of our lives and the hope that we have, through anything that comes our way, lies in the forgiveness God brought us through the sacrifice of his son, Jesus. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive in Christ (Colossians 2:13)
Another blessing is the blessing of the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus spoke to His disciples of his imminent departure, he said I will ask the Father and he will give you another counsellor to be with you forever, the Spirit of truth (John 14:16). In verse 26 he says: The Holy Spirit will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
In Romans 8:26 we learn that the Holy Spirit even helps us to pray. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. He is God in us, our counsellor, teacher, comforter and intercessor. The extent of this blessing is far more than can be given justice to in this article.
Then there is the blessing of prayer.
If you want a quick word with Queen Elizabeth or Mr. Jacob Zuma, there is a myriad of procedures you have to go through, and then you and I most probably will be denied. Do we understand what it means to have direct access to the living God any time, for as long as you want, and you can tell him absolutely anything? If you want to just mope and share your troubles with him, he will not sigh or look at his watch and roll his eyes towards heaven. You can even tell him that you are angry with him and he will not turn away from you. He actually longs for you to talk to him about all your joys and your heartaches, your fears and your doubts all of it. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus(Philippians 4:6,7).What a blessing!
Finally there is the blessing of creation.
Just think about Gods good morning and good night greetings to his children in the mind-blowing beauty of sunrise and sunset every day, the wonders of the sea and the design in a snowflake; the indescribable joy of a newborn baby and the awesomeness of how the five senses work together to enable us to enjoy all these wonders.
Whenever we feel the stress of daily living sweeping us off our feet, we can stand still and bathe ourselves in the wonder and beauty of creation, and be reminded that we ourselves are the crown of his creation. The effect that spending time in nature has on the mind, body and spirit is a blessing in itself. We can only sing Gods praises for it like the writer of Psalm 139:14: I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
There is the blessing of Gods character that never changes, the blessing of his learning about him, the blessing of his word – faith, joy, hope, and many more.
We can never fully comprehend in this life, the depth, extent and richness of the blessings God lavishes on us. No earthly blessings can even begin to compare with it. Lets remember Ephesians 1:3: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. May we look at our blessings with new eyes, daily awareness and deeper appreciation.